"I never thought for one moment of marrying him," said Bessie,
haughtily. "If I ever had any sort of mercy on him, it was all to tease
you. There, are you satisfied?"
"I must be, I suppose," he replied, and he sighed heavily. "When was
this settled?"
"Yesterday, walking up and down the esplanade. He will tell his brother
to-day, and I shall write to Lady Temple. Oh, Alick, he is so kind, he
spoke so highly of you."
"I must say," returned Alick, in the same grave tone, "that if you
wished for the care of an old man, I should have thought my uncle the
more agreeable of the two."
"He is little past fifty. You are very hard on him."
"On the contrary, I am sorry for him. You will always find it good for
him to do whatever suits yourself."
"Alick?" said his sister mournfully, "you have never forgotten or
forgiven my girlish bits of neglect after your wound."
"No, Bessie," he said, holding her hand kindly, "it is not the neglect
or the girlishness, but the excuses to me, still more to my uncle, and
most of all to yourself. They are what make me afraid for you in what
you are going to take upon yourself."
She did not answer immediately, and he pursued--"Are you driven to this
by dislike to living at Bishopsworthy? If so, do not be afraid to tell
me. I will make any arrangement, if you would prefer living with Jane.
We agreed once that it would be too expensive, but now I could let you
have another hundred a year."
"As if I would allow that, Alick! No, indeed! Lord Keith means you to
have all my share."
"Does he? There are more words than one to that question. And pray is he
going to provide properly for his poor daughter in the West Indies?"
"I hope to induce him to take her into favour."
"Eh? and to make him give up to Colin Keith that Auchinvar estate that
he ought to have had when Archie Keith died?"
"You may be sure I shall do my best for the Colonel. Indeed, I do think
Lord Keith will consent to the marriage now."
"You have sacrificed yourself on that account?" he said, with irony in
his tone, that he could have repented the next moment, so good-humoured
was her reply, "That is understood, so give me the merit."
"The merit of, for his sake, becoming a grandmother. You have thought of
the daughters? Mrs. Comyn Menteith must be older than yourself."
"Three years," said Bessie, in his own tone of acceptance of startling
facts, "and I shall have seven grandchildren in all, so you see you must
respect me."
"Do you know her sentiments?"